Dream Sequence
by riot-o-curls
Summary: Briefly exploring the relationship between Aoshi and Misao. Taken place five years after the manga, a trip to Tokyo reveals . . . things.
1. Chapter I Dreams

Shinomori Aoshi's blue gray eyes opened slowly.

The warmth of the room engulfed him.  He was in an empty square room save for the small fire boiling water in a teakettle at the center of the room.  Looking down at himself, he could see that he was dressed in his usual yukata, seated comfortably on a soft futon.   Beyond the crackling fire in front of him, through the open shoji doors, the dark blue color of the winter weather sharply contrasted against the warm colors of the room.  To his right, the walls of the shoji were slid open to reveal steaming waters of an onsen, inviting him to its warm waters despite the snowy landscape surrounding it.

Before he had the opportunity to contemplate why he was at such a location, a slightly paler blue shadow approached from the opening in front of him.  The shadow became sharper; the cloak of the blue shadow slowly revealing a kimono clad Misao.  In her hands, she carefully carried a tea tray.

For a moment, he thought it was just a regular day, during the winter, where Misao would always join him for tea at the temple.  But Aoshi was at a loss as to why there would be an onsen at a temple and why the normal plain paper walls of the temple would be decorated with birds set against warm orange, yellow, and red colors of what seemed to be either a setting or rising sun.  However, these thoughts registered dimly in the back of his mind as he watched her enter the room.

She paused at the door, slipping off her sandals before entering the room on silent bare feet.  Small flecks of snow that decorated her dark loosely braided hair and the simple dark blue kimono with white trim disappeared as soon as she stepped into the room.  The melted snow created a dewy glowing look on her, infusing her cheeks with a light rose blush and leaving her skin moist.  As she walked towards him, the front of her kimono occasionally slipped open to reveal long slender legs and the probability that she was only wearing the kimono, mystifying the confused and bewildered Aoshi more.

The Misao he knew never wore such revealing and seductive clothing.  Granted, she wore kimonos from time to time but only on certain occasions and never in such a fashion.  He tried to ignore the creeping image of Misao in her revealing day clothes and onmitsu uniform, reminding himself that she wore such things for practicality.

Misao stopped in front and to the side of him, setting down the tea tray with a slight click, as the fire slowly boiled water to her right.  She greeted him with her slow soft smile and a soft "Konnichawa, Aoshi-sama."

He watched her prepare his tea, wondering when her movements had become so graceful.

Instead of handing him his cup, she settled close to him until she was a hair's breadth away from touching his thigh.

"Here's your tea, Aoshi-sama," she said, holding up the teacup to his lips.

He leaned away from the cup, surprised at her gesture.

Something must have shown on his typically expressionless face because she giggled and held the cup closer to his lips.

A slender eyebrow rose a millimeter.  As far as Aoshi knew, Misao never giggled or at least in such a girlish fashion.

The kimono slipped from her shoulder as she brought the teacup up to his lips again, revealing a slender pale cream shoulder.  "Ne, Aoshi-sama," she said lightly, "relax, I won't bite."

Aoshi managed to see a small glimpse of impish mischievousness, something of which he'd seen before, in her sparkling green eyes before he suddenly found himself holding a fragrant lapful of a warm blue bundle.  Her free hand cupped his cheek and she leaned her face close to his.

"Aoshi-sama," she pouted sternly, her bottom lip slightly jutting out.  "Behave or else I'll spill the tea all over you, then there won't be any left."  And with that, she pulled away and brought the cup to his lips again.  "Now, drink it like a good little boy."

To his surprise, Aoshi obeyed, letting her hold the cup as he drank the warm green tea.  He watched her entranced expression, her eyes concentrated on his lips.  Confused thoughts whirled in his head.  Since when did she become so forward?  Usually, when she brought him tea and snacks, she would serve him his tea and/or join him with the snacks at a safe distance and never this close.

She glanced at him, gave him - what seemed to him - a sly seductive smile, and pulled the cup away.  Still seated comfortably on his lap, she turned to the tea tray, rummaging around with small clinks before turning to him with a bowl of rice and fish and a pair of chopsticks in hand.

He opened his mouth to protest but Misao slipped a mouthful of food in, preventing him from speaking.

"There you go," she murmured.  "Now eat up and become a strong boy."

The slender eyebrow joined his companion as they formed a slight frown on his face.  He resented her treating him like a young child and as he chewed, he glared at her trying to show her his resentment.

She ignored him and continued feeding him.  She set the bowl and chopsticks aside to serve him tea.  He drank obediently after an unsuccessful attempt at gaining control of the teacup.  A bit of tea escaped from the corner of his lips and slowly trickled down his chin.

Misao pulled away.  "Ne, Aoshi-sama, you spilt some tea."

Aoshi brought up a hand to wipe away the tea when Misao leaned over and slowly licked it off, her tongue, warm and wet, lingering against his skin.  He stilled at the feel of her small tongue, at the sudden closeness of her warm flower fragrant body, as his trusty stoic conscience declared mutiny and demanded that he take advantage of the situation.  Differing thoughts of pulling away with an excuse disappeared as her tongue traveled slowly over his bottom lip, soon to be replaced by her mouth settling over his in a slow kiss.  _What . . ._ he thought startled.  It was his last thought as he fell into a warm and sensuous kiss created by Misao.

The woman on his lap gave a delightful moan as she deepened the kiss and he responded to the kiss by placing a hand to her waist to pull her closer.  Then he found himself pulling her down to the futon with him.

~*~

Aoshi woke up with a start.   The darkened ceiling of his room greeted him and told him that he had been dreaming.  He brought a hand to his face to rub away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead and sighed.

It wasn't the first dream he had of Misao.  Most of them were innocent, relating to the peaceful times before he left her as a child.  Yet, lately, those dreams were turning into something he wanted to avoid.  A part of him said that it wasn't right, that he would be the least likely person to be suitable for her.  She deserved someone who didn't live life so dangerously.

An immediate thought appeared, mocking his previous thoughts.  And who else would be suitable for her?  Not the silk merchant, whom he knew kept a string of heartbroken females through his trade routes, and certainly not the butcher's son who had not an intelligent thought in his head.  Of course, Aoshi kept an eye on them, those who dared to court her; one could never be too sure what they would do if they were left alone with Misao.  The mocking voice inside him sneered at his so-called spying, 'you know you want her as much as those dimwits.  You're just checking out the competition.'  For some reason that mocking voice sounded like a combination of the Battousai's insistent reasoning, Saito's sarcasm at its best, and Sagara's crassness at its worse.

He sat up, brushing back long strands of midnight black hair, trying to rub away not only the creases on his forehead but the conflicting thoughts that formed them.  Since he was awake and remnants of the dream prevented him from going back to sleep, he might as well make some tea for himself, he thought sighing.

Pushing back the covers and straightening his yukata, he left his room and headed downstairs.  Quietly, he made his way to the kitchen.  A movement at the corner of his eye and a whisper of a sigh from the courtyard reached his senses and he paused, turning towards the sound.  There standing in the dim light of the moon was Misao, staring absentmindedly at the flower in her hand.

Thoughts of making tea disappeared and his mind went blank at the sight of the softly illuminated young woman, surrounded by flowers.  As if drawn to her, he crept nearer and stopped at the opening of the building.  He leaned against the doorway, studying the fleeting expressions play across her face.  Then her expressions became one as she suddenly frowned and unaware, her hand tightened around the stem of the blossom she held.

Fearing for the safety of the flower and wondering what was on her mind he called out to her.

~*~

Makimachi Misao walked out onto the Aoiya's courtyard, unable to sleep.  The cool summer night air fluttered around her, gently caressing skin not covered by her yukata.  She sighed and played with the loose strands of hair that hung about her shoulders.  She should stop worrying about Aoshi by now; he could take care of himself, that she knew, but there was that small fear in the depths of her heart that kept saying that he'll leave again for his pursuit to be the strongest and never return.

Thinking that it was the most ridiculous thought, she mentally chided herself.  For the past five years since his return back to the Oniwabanshu, he had not shown any indication that he would leave.  In fact, he slowly involved himself into the affairs of the Aoiya, taking care of the financial matters of the restaurant.  Of course, he still meditated at the temple, for whatever reasons unknown to Misao, but he spent less time there than he did during the first year he returned.

Misao paused by a bushel of flowers, idly reaching out and gently fingering a soft petal.  She smiled softly to herself, her thoughts turning towards the upcoming festivities.

In a few days, the summer festival would begin but instead of celebrating it in Kyoto, as she had intended, the Himuras had invited the Oniwanbashu to Tokyo.  Happily, she had agreed but the other members declined their offer, wanting to celebrate it in their hometown.  The Aoiya was going to be closed for the festival, allowing the members to enjoy the festivities.  Okon and Omasu wanted to stay in Kyoto in hopes of seeing Hiko Seijuro, but that was highly doubtful, Misao thought to herself, a slight smirk appearing at the corner of her mobile mouth.  If they couldn't find the tall, muscular, egotistical man, then there'll be plenty of men there to sooth their bruised hearts.  Kuro and Shiro were also eager to have the time off and had already listed favorite sites of the festival according to importance.  Though, Misao suspected Shiro seemed a bit too eager.  She had a sneaking suspicion that his eagerness had something to do with the pretty daikon seller down the street.  She snickered softly to herself; pleased at the thought of having him do some favors for her in order to keep the information secret from certain people.

Misao's smile disappeared and a small frown appeared along with a slightly visible tic between her eyebrows.  She was worried about Okina.  He was staying behind, saying that he was too weary to move his old bones to travel.  She knew otherwise.  He was using up all that old man energy to ogle and chase young girls.  She hoped he didn't go too far with his lecherousness, her hand clenching into a shaking fist, or by Kami-sama, he was going to be in some deep trouble by the time she returned. 

Her thoughts returned to the initial reason why she was out this late at night in the Aoiya's courtyard.  Her frown deepened.  Usually, whenever she visited the Himuras, she had to convince him to come with her or Okina would suggest something about how the roads were dangerous and that it was unsuitable for a young girl to be wondering alone without a proper escort.  Misao huffed silently at the outrageous exaggerations he made; she didn't need an escort or a baby sitter to make her way to Tokyo and besides she had been traveling alone with little or no problems in the past.

This time, however, Aoshi had stated that he would accompany her to Tokyo before Okina or she had thought to ask him to.  What she couldn't figure out was the reason why, why would Aoshi come with her when he had the opportunity to be alone?  It wasn't that she didn't mind his company, but she didn't expect him to accept the Himuras' invitation as soon as she announced that she was going.  Before she could contemplate the reasons, a low familiar voice broke through her thoughts and the still air of the Aoiya.

"Misao.  It is late."

She looked over to the entrance of the building to see him standing there in his usual pose, leaning at the door with his arms crossed.  Bestowing him a huge grin and casting her troubled thoughts aside, she replied, "I know.  I couldn't sleep so I thought if I stayed out here long enough, I'll eventually get tired and go to sleep."

He watched her with unfathomable blue-gray eyes as she made her way to him, his long dark hair loose around his yukata clad shoulders.  Her heart couldn't help but pound heavily at the sight of him.  Even after all these years, she was still in love with him.  She couldn't help but wonder if he knew at all or even cared.

"Aoshi," she had dropped the 'sama' long ago, "what are you doing up so late?"

He just stared at her, his eyes flickering with something akin to kindled fire.  Then, closing his eyes, he turned away.

"It is best we turn in for the night.  We leave early in the morning."

Misao watched him go, confused at his actions and tone.  Usually, he would respond to her questions with short and distinct sentences but never in a curt tone.  She couldn't shake that uneasy feeling that something was wrong, that same feeling she'd felt during the Shishio affair.

~*~

AN:  Well, this is my first fic.  I will develop the story a bit further so it'll take a while for the next chapter to be up.  You know the drill, read, review, and comment.  And thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter II Tokyo

Chapter II – Tokyo (excerpt)

This is just a teaser.  Sorry folks, not the real deal.  Was bored and decided to put in a paragraph or two.

So eager in setting up my first fic that I forgot to put in the disclaimer in the first chapter.  Oh well, here it is:

Disclaimer: Ownership of Rurouni Kenshin and its characters belong to Watsuki and not I.  However, that drool trail following Aoshi is mine.  Heh, yes, well . . .

Chapter 2

They left, as Aoshi said, early in the morning by boat.  The trip over the waters was uneventful; at least to him.  However, Misao found every opportunity to be up on deck, whether it be day or night.  She even tried to get him to enjoy the sea air but he would only stay for a while to appease her and disappear down to the cabins once her back was turned.  

They reached land two days later and took the early morning train to Tokyo after spending the night in Shinbashi.  The ride to the capital city was as equally uneventful and Misao fell asleep on the way, after watching the landscape flash by her.  Aoshi alternated from reading and meditating, which ever he desired at the moment.  At the moment, it was quiet except for the low murmurs of conversation coming from some of the passengers and the rattling of the train moving over the tracks.

He watched her sleep, his book on his lap and a slim page held by slender fingers.  Slowly, his eyes took in the sleeping countenance, caressing the soft pale skin, wondering what the curve of her cheek would feel like against his finger, lingering around her closed eyes, taking in the dark circles that –.  Aoshi frowned at the dark marks that mimicked the feathered line of her eyelashes underneath her eyes, and wondered about them.  A small snort came from the slumbering girl at his side, distracting him from his thoughts.  Her head tilted his way; her small mouth opened slightly where slight snorts and wheezes emerged.

Warm amusement filled him at the sight of her sleeping.  He wondered if Misao knew that she snored.  Memories of his dream flashed through his mind, prompting his hand to rise to brush away the stray strand of hair that hovered over her nose.  As his fingers were about to brush the errant lock away, her nose wrinkled and in her sleep, blew away the strand, her breath caressing his fingertips.  The feel of her breath jolted him back to reality that they were on the train to Tokyo and that it wasn't the time to dally.

A small creeping thought formed in the back of his mind, as he returned to his book.  _Perhaps when we're alone and business is done, I can._

They arrived in the outskirts of Tokyo late in the afternoon.  Misao, wide awake and excited at the prospect of seeing the Himuras, poked her head far enough out of the window to allow the rushing air of the still moving train to loosen the dark strands of hair from the proper bun at the base of her neck, a huge grin filling her face.  Aoshi kept a careful eye on her; letting her enjoy the view from her precarious position, ready to pull her back in if needed.

The green landscape disappeared as buildings came into view.  Misao pulled herself back in with a sigh, shutting the window as she sat back.

"That was fun but watching buildings pass by gets kinda boring, don't you think?" she asked, smiling up at the quiet man beside her.  A sound resembling a positive grunt answered her as he turned a page in his book.  For a moment, she watched him read.  Ever since the train left the station in Kyoto, she had only seen him read and never once had she seen him take a look, much less a glance, outside the window.  Her smile turning sly, she continued, the tone of her voice becoming childish and falsely innocent, "Can reading ever get boring, Aoshi-sama?"

For a moment, he sat there.  Then, slowly and carefully, he closed his book and turned his head down at her, an eyebrow slightly raised.  "No," Aoshi calmly replied, meeting the twinkling eyes of the young woman beside him.  They stared at each other in silence, and then a delighted laugh from Misao broke the contest, sending a thrill of heat racing through his body and pooling deep within him.

She relaxed back against her seat, sighing in content while looking out her window.  "I never win in staring contests against you," she said her voice full of laughter.  But Aoshi wasn't paying attention.  Instead he was trying to control whatever was left of his self-control when she shattered it with just the sound of her laughter.

Slowly the train screeched into a halt at the train station, spewing dark gray smoke from its smokestack.  Japanese people - dressed in foreign and native dress - and foreigners gathered in a multicolored crowd; scattered across the station platform, some heading to the train and some lingered around in varying sizes of groups.  Inside, Misao eagerly grabbed her belongings and Aoshi's coat and began pulling them towards the nearest exit.  He managed to grab his own bag from the compartment above him before she tugged harder at his coat, urging him to hurry.

"Misao," he called out from the buzzing of the station.  "The Himuras will still be there.  There's no need to rush."

She let go of him and turned around, her hands on her hips in an impatient pose, walking backwards.  "I wanted to surprise them," she stated in a mock pout, her smile ever present on her face.  Then she frowned, stopping.  "But you're tall and that'll ruin the element of surprise, so."  She shoved her bag at him and turned around again, shouting over her shoulder as she hurried away, "take your time getting out!"

~*~

Himura Kaoru craned her neck above the crowd trying to catch a glimpse of the hyper ninja girl and her tall companion.  At her side, her husband smiled serenely and tickled the chin of the toddler that she held in her arms.

"Kenshin, can you -"

"Ah, Kaoru, don't worry.  I'm sure Misao-dono can find us in this crowd."  His calm violet eyes flickered at something over her shoulder.  "See, here she comes."

As if on cue, a familiar shout rang out above the rushing din of the train station.  "Kaoru-san!"

Kaoru turned around to meet her and Kenshin, wisely, took the child from her arms, already anticipating the cheerful girl's greeting.

Misao pushed through the last few bodies, even shoving a few aside, before leaping onto her friend and squeezing the air out of the lungs that had, seconds ago, been filled to the max.  Fortunately, Misao let go of Kaoru before she collapsed from lack of air.

"Misao!  It's so great to see you!"

"_I_ couldn't wait to see you guys!  Did I surprise you?" she asked eagerly.

"No," Kaoru chuckled lightly.  "Kenshin saw you."

The younger woman turned towards the red-haired man.  "Himura, why couldn't you at least -," she stopped in mid-wail, catching sight of the wide-eyed gaze of the child in his arms.  "Hey, who's this?"

The proud father chuckled as his son bashfully hid his face into the crook of his neck.  "Misao-dono, surely you remember Kenji."

"Well, I dunno."  She returned the bashful yet watchful gaze of the child with a skeptical look.  Then she turned away, shaking her head in an exaggerated manner, one eye on the child.  "I don't recognize him.  He's too shy to be the kid I knew.  Oh well, I guess that means I get to eat all that candy I brought with me . . .."  The dark red head perked up at the word candy and one hand reached out for some.

"Ha!  I knew he was there!"

Kenji hid his face onto his father's neck again, but one eye peeped out mischievously.  Misao chuckled at his false display of shyness.

"Himura.  Himura-san," a cool voice greeted from behind her.

"Ah, Aoshi-san, welcome," Kaoru said, bowing to the man.  Kenshin smiled at the tall man, greeting him in his calm, smiling way.

Aoshi handed over Misao's bag to her and she proceeded to pull out a small sack.  Reaching in, she pulled out a crystallized fruit and handed it over to the small child in Kenshin's arms.

"Kenji-chan, what do you say?" his mother asked him.

The child stared at Misao with wide dark blue violet eyes as he nibbled the candied fruit.  "Fank you," came the quiet and somewhat garbled words.

Misao, instead of responding exuberantly, smiled softly and gently ruffled the boy's hair.  "You're welcome."

Kenshin, surprised at her lack of enthusiasm, looked over at her and noticed Aoshi watching her with the slightest quirk on his brow.  Sensing Kenshin's gaze on him, he calmly looked over at Kenshin, as if agreeing with what he saw and returned his gaze back to Misao.

Kaoru, missing the exchange of glances between her husband and the tall ninja, linked her arm around Misao's and began leading them out of the station.  "I'm pretty sure both of you are tired, Misao, so we should be heading back to the dojo."

"You bet I'm tired," Misao declared.  "Did you get a carriage for us?"

"Misao, the dojo's only a few blocks away."

"But Kaoru-"

Behind them, the men followed, quietly exchanging words, allowing the chatter of the women to drown out the noises of the train station.

~*~

AN: Wow.  Thank you for all the reviews.  I'm a slow writer and I tend to heavily contemplate my next words, hence the late, late update.

Reviewer thanks to:

BarbaraSheridan, AnnabelleG, unique-starfish, Ranger, Sweet Chaos, Noriko, and Imre.


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